NCAA target of governor

Lawsuit claims Penn St. penalties were excessive

Associated Press

Associated Press

Published 9:42 pm, Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett speaks at a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013 in State College, Pa. The NCAA overstepped its authority by imposing hefty sanctions on Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, Corbett said in announcing a federal lawsuit against the college athletics governing body. (AP Photo/Ralph Wilson)

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett speaks at a news conference...

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett speaks at a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013 in State College, Pa. The NCAA overstepped its authority by imposing hefty sanctions on Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, Corbett said in announcing a federal lawsuit against the college athletics governing body. (AP Photo/Ralph Wilson)

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett speaks at a news conference...

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett gestures while speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013 in State College, Pa. The NCAA overstepped its authority by imposing hefty sanctions on Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, Corbett said in announcing a federal lawsuit against the college athletics governing body. (AP Photo/Ralph Wilson)

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett gestures while speaking at a news...

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, center at podium, speaks at a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013 in State College, Pa. The NCAA overstepped its authority by imposing hefty sanctions on Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, Corbett said in announcing a federal lawsuit against the college athletics governing body. (AP Photo/Ralph Wilson)

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, center at podium, speaks at a news...

Gov. Tom Corbett announces plans to file a federal anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA over sanctions imposed against Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal in State College, Pa. on Wednesday, January 02, 2013. Flanked by local business and political figures Corbett stated the suit contends the NCAA sanctions were over-reaching and unlawful. (AP Photo/Ralph Wilson)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — In a bold challenge to the NCAA's powers, Pennsylvania's governor claimed in a lawsuit Wednesday that college sports' governing body overstepped its authority and "piled on" when it penalized Penn State over the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.

Gov. Tom Corbett asked that a federal judge throw out the sanctions, which include an unprecedented $60 million fine and a four-year ban on bowl games, arguing that the measures have harmed students, business owners and others who had nothing to do with Sandusky's crimes.

"A handful of top NCAA officials simply inserted themselves into an issue they had no authority to police under their own bylaws and one that was clearly being handled by the justice system," Corbett said at a news conference.

The case, filed under federal antitrust law, could define just how far the NCAA's authority extends. Up to now, the federal courts have allowed the organization broad powers to protect the integrity of college athletics.

An NCAA statement said the lawsuit has no merit and called it an "affront" to Sandusky's victims.

Penn State said it had no role in the lawsuit. In fact, it agreed not to sue as part of the deal with the NCAA accepting the sanctions, which were imposed in July after a probe found that football coach Joe Paterno and other top officials hushed up sexual-abuse allegations against Sandusky, a former member of Paterno's staff, for more than a decade for fear of bad publicity.

The penalties include a cut in the number of football scholarships the university can award and erasing 14 years of victories under Paterno, who was fired when the scandal broke in 2011 and died of lung cancer a short time later.

When Penn State's president consented to the sanctions last summer, Corbett, a trustee, embraced them as part of the university's effort to repair the damage from the scandal.

Corbett said he waited until now to sue over the "harsh penalties" because he wanted to thoroughly research the legal issues and did not want to interfere with the football season.